1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a digital information input apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A system such that image data of an object photographed by an information generating apparatus, such as a digital camera, video camera, or the like, is recorded in a recording medium existing in the information generating apparatus and transferred to an information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer (PC) or the like, has been realized as a product.
In such a system, in order to identify and operate the data recorded in the recording medium in the information generating apparatus, logical identification information of data storage (for example, a file name in the case where the data has been recorded as a file) is used or unique identification information (a handle, an ID, etc.) which can specify the data is used.
In the above technique, for example, in the case of operating the data with an external information processing apparatus by using the logical identification information such as a file name or the like, recorded in the recording medium in the information generating apparatus, knowledge of the logical identification information recorded in the recording medium in the information generating apparatus has to be understood in the external information processing apparatus and a file system or the like in the information generating apparatus has to be directly operated. In this case, if a logical data management system such as a file system or the like in the information generating apparatus is changed, it is also necessary to change processes in the external information processing apparatus.
In the case of supporting a plurality of kinds of information generating apparatuses having different file systems, the external information processing apparatus has to support logical data management systems such as different kinds of file systems or the like, resulting in an increase in installation costs.
As mentioned above, in the case of using the unique identification information (the handle, ID, etc.) which is independent of the logical data management systems such as file systems or the like of the information generating apparatus, the identification information which is independent of the logical data management system of the recording medium in the information generating apparatus is used. Therefore, even in the case of supporting a plurality of information generating apparatuses having different logical data management systems, since they can be equivalently handled by the external information processing apparatus, the installation costs are reduced. However, on the contrary, in the information generating apparatus, the unique identification information which is independent of the logical data management systems such as file systems or the like in the information generating apparatuses has to be generated and an identification information correspondence table for making the identification information of the logical data management systems such as file names or the like correspond to the generated unique identification information has to be held.
Generally, the identification information management table is stored in a work area such as a RAM or the like in the information generating apparatus and held while the information generating apparatus and the external information processing apparatus are communicating with each other. However, if a large amount of data objects exist in a storage medium existing in the information generating apparatus, a capacity of the work area such as a RAM which is necessary to construct the identification information management table increases, so that the installation costs of the information generating apparatus are increased.